“Why do we need a video camera person?
Can’t we just use a Flip camera to record our corporate video?”
Can’t my assistant’s nephew simply edit our corporate branding video for us?
No, I did not just make this up – okay so nobody has asked me if they can use their new Flip device to create a video, but they have come pretty close to it!
The quality of your videos really can make or break your image and corporate brand. Think about it. We have become very sophisticated consumers of video. Not only that, our attention spans has diminished greatly. With the web, the ability to click off your video or your website at any point is very easy and common (this is called a bounce rate in Google Analytics). .
A well produced video is one of the most powerful and effective communication vehicles around. In fact, according to the Wharton School of Business, a well produced video increases information retention by 50% and speeds up buying decisions by 72% over a print brochure.
Just to make this a little more fun and interesting, rather than sharing what you should do to create a great video, I am going to tell you what you can do to really mess it up.
Why would I hire a professional production team with a proven track record? Can’t we just do it in-house?
We don’t need anyone to orchestrate all the details and to ensure our video is successful. We have plenty of people in-house that have created home movies. Why bring in a team who knows how to avoid all the traps of producing videos and who have access to experienced pros? I am sure my son or daughter has friends from high school who can help us.
I don’t want to pay for a script or storyboard!
Forget creating an outline, storyboard or script. Why invest the time and money for that? Just turn on the camera and start talking! Oh, and don’t worry about the viewers, they won’t care if the video has nothing to do with them.
Where we film makes no difference. Why pay for a site visit before we film?
Don’t even think about the location or venue you are filming in. Makes no difference if there is a lot of back ground noise or if there are distractions in the background. Oh come on now, florescent lights and lights coming from the windows – really! Nobody will notice if there is someone in the background waving to the camera and mouthing “Hi Mom!”
Quality? Can’t we just use our cell phone?
You don’t need a professional camera. After all, I bet your cell phone can shoot in HD. Lights? Who needs them? We’ll just stand next to a window, plenty of light there. Audio? You say we need to have an excellent quality microphone and someone there to monitor sound? Nonsense. My cell phone has a good microphone built right in. We’ll just use that.
We don’t need to pay an editor!
Why in the world do we need you for editorial and post production? Heck, my assistant has Windows Movie Maker. No, we don’t need an experienced professional team who’s skilled in marketing, communications, learning, and branding. After all, it is just a video on our website!
So, I think I’ve made my point. By the way, I have heard at one time or another, everything I mentioned above and more – a lot more.
The bottom line is quality of messaging and production matter. It is your brand, your company image and your message that you are putting out on the web for the whole world to see and share again and again. The Internet is timeless and those videos will be out there for everyone to see for a long time to come.
Take the time to plan, hire the right people and produce a video which you are proud of and will move your business objectives forward.
Of course, this is what I do and I would be happy to talk about your business and how video can help you achieve the goals and results you want.
I welcome your comments.
Thank you,
Robert S. Grossman
Focus Creative Group
